Letter to the Editor: Financial fallacies of the OAHS

The Oconto Area Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that services our local communities. It serves as a temporary home to homeless and/or unwanted animals, it provides a safe haven for lost pets until they can be reunited with their families and it is somewhere people can go when they are looking to add a new pet to their household. The OAHS also provides a viable service to those townships that are looking for a solution to stray and/or lost pets in their area.

In terms of animal shelters, the OAHS is relatively new. On Feb. 14 of this year, our shelter celebrated its eighth year of operation within our community. It has been eight years of fundraisers, membership drives, donation barrels and dog banks, all asking for support of one kind or another.

We have come to realize that there are many misconceptions and fallacies concerning the financial aspects of running a shelter, and we fear that those misconceptions often prevent people from donating. The truth is, without the support of our townships and communities, we could not survive. Like so many other shelters, we depend on donations for nearly 100% of our income, and we are hoping to explain why this is so by revealing many of the fallacies that people hold when it comes to the financial aspects of animal shelters.

? Fallacy #1: The OAHS is supported financially by state and local government agencies. In fact, the shelter receives no funds from either the state or county. Local townships and municipalities may choose to contract with the OAHS to take in their stray animals, but such contracts do not generate nearly enough money to support the shelter. In fact, the total income from animal control contracts in 2012 was $9786, or only enough money to support the shelter for approximately 5 1/2 weeks.

? Fallacy #2: If the shelter was operated correctly, it could become self-sufficient. The reality is the OAHS only makes a profit on approximately 1 out of every 40 adoptions. These are the "ideal" scenarios or cases where the animals that are surrendered are already spayed or neutered and are current on all vaccinations. Even in such cases, the shelter incurs costs for these animals and the profit only ranges from $10-$15.

In addition, a state law that went into effect in 2011 requires that all dogs adopted from any shelter in Wisconsin have a signed CVI (Certified Veterinary Inspection) certificate. These certificates, once completed, are only good for 30 days. So, if a dog is at the shelter for 5 months before a home is found, in addition to vaccinations, medications, food, boarding, and care, it will have received five examinations from a licensed veterinarian.

The fact is, even if our shelter miraculously adopted out every dog that came in within one month of its arrival, we would not break even on the money spent to care for the animal and complete the necessary health checks. Then, when you factor in staffing, utilities, mortgage payments, insurance and maintenance, which averages $6780 a month or $219/day, it is impossible for our shelter or any shelter to be self-sufficient. This is why most, if not all, shelters rely on the support of their communities.

? Fallacy #3: When people donate to the ASPCA, PETA or The Humane Society of the United States, a percentage of that money goes to help support shelters across the country. This is untrue. Each of these organizations uses its money for its own individual expenses/projects. Community shelters such as the OAHS are not connected in any way to these other humane organizations.

We hope this helps to clarify the financial realities of operating a shelter. This is why we hold fundraisers, and why we depend on donations for nearly 100% of our income. Without corporate sponsors and the support of people in the community, who either donate on a regular basis or remember the shelter when they complete their estate planning, our shelter cannot remain in operation.

Let me close with an interesting fact. In 2012, the estimated population of Oconto County was 37, 442. If every family, once a year, donated $1 for everyone in their household and the contractual income from our townships stayed the same, the shelter would be financially sound. If every family donated $2 annually for everyone in their household, the OAHS could not only cover all of its bills, but it would have funds left to provide a wider variety of pet-related services (grooming, training, educational programs, etc.) $2 a year.

That sounds like a very worthwhile investment for both our community and the animals, but without you, we can't do it.

Kathy Campshure

President of the OAHS Inc. board of directors

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Letter to the Editor: Financial fallacies of the OAHS

The Oconto Area Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that services our local communities.

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